A New Arrival
by LMartin77
Summary: Asheron's Call MMORPG based A girl arrives in a new world with no memories.


The girl opened her eyes having no idea what to expect. She couldn't remember how she came to be lying on this grass, where she was from or even her name. She had a large pack next to her that had a few supplies, as though she had known she was going on a journey. Feeling her tummy rumble, she reached into the pack and pulled out an apple. She bit into it, and before she knew it, she had finished the fruit. Deciding that she couldn't stay in this very spot forever, the girl tossed the apple core aside and resolved herself to the task at hand. She brushed her hair out of her eyes and held her hand up to block out the sun as she took in her surroundings.

The grass around her was very green, and she could feel its crispness and the soft dampness of the earth beneath her legs. There were few flowers, but those she could see were brightly colored, with long sturdy stems holding them up. There were also three buildings. The first was a barn, all one floor, with bales of hay and boxes and barrels of supplies. It seemed a solid structure, good for shelter, the wood it was made of looking strong. The second was a larger building, two stories and also made of wood, and she could tell that there were two people inside, one on each floor. She didn't know how she knew because there was no movement inside, but she just did and she shrugged off the feeling. The third building was large and made all of stone. It was pyramid shaped, but the top wasn't solid, instead tapering into 4 points. There was also an entrance into the pyramid and a strange swirling of purple light on the side of the structure. There was also a cow, most likely belonging to one of the 2 individuals in the home.

The sun overhead was becoming harsh, so she drifted towards the shade. Walking into the barn, she became aware of her bare feet. The hay was harsh on her feet and she suddenly became aware of the rest of her clothing as well. She was wearing a dark blue pair of pants that were quite tight that barely covered her knees. Her tunic was bright white and baggy with short sleeves, that hung almost to mid-thigh. She found a well on the side of the building and looked inside. Her hair was short, tapered off at the back of her neck, and reddish-brown. Her nose and cheeks were freckled, her eyes were deep and very dark brown. Considering the heat outside, the girl sat down inside the barn to rummage through the sack she had with her.

She up-ended the pack and allowed the contents to spill out in front of her. The first thing to catch her eye was an envelope of parchments that said "Kasha" on the front. The girl reached out and picked up the envelope, turning it over in her hands as she practiced saying Kasha aloud. She wasn't sure if it was her name or not, but it sounded familiar. Trying to be as quiet as possible, she opened the envelope and pulled out four parchments. The top parchment was in the same hand as the front of the envelope, so she bagan reading.

_Kasha, _

_You are probably reading this in your new world. I hope only that you haven't lost your pack, you will be needing it, and that you are of good health. I thought it best to write things for you, as the portal you ventured through was unknown and mysterious. _

_You were chosen from your family to be the one sent through the portal because of your skills. Every other family in your village sent warriors, mages, archers and slaves to carry the burdens of others. We knew that your skills would be of special need once you arrived, hopefully you have not lost your talent in the portal. You are a rarity, you are a fine defender, able to kill from a distance with your bow, but that is not your true skill. _

_You are an alchemist, one who can change the properties of regular items to suit other purposes. Along with that skill, you have the talent of preparing food, something that most warriors know nothing about, except to gather the meat, but they know nothing of how to cook it. Without you, many of the warriors who have been sent to the new world would likely starve. The last skill that is of such value is your ability to craft arrows. Many can do this task, but not with the speed and skill you can. And with your alchemy, you are able to make arrows that hold the elements as well as seek out the weakest place on a creature to strike._

The girl looked up from the parchment wondering if this person she was reading about could possibly be her. She looked at a few of the other items that had fallen out of the pack and they definitely looked like tools that would help in cooking a meal. But perhaps she had stolen this pack from the rightful owner? The girl worriedly glanced around and then turned back to the letter, turning to the next page.

_Kasha, I understand this may be difficult for you to believe, but all that I have scribed here is true. If you look into your dark eyes in a reflection, you will see everything I have told you. Your Sho heritage is prominent in your appearance and in your recipes. Your strict attention to detail, and focus to tasks should make you proud as well as an asset to all that you meet. There are many others in your strange new land, I hope they realize the gifts that you have and help you in cultivating your skills. _

_We have sent along your tools to start you on your path, as well as a bow and some arrows that we made for you. They are not as good as yours, but we crafted them with love. We have sent along a calling stone, we hope it brings you good fortune. Keep us in your hearts, for we shall sing of your courage for many generations. Sing the name of your village, Ling-Zhao, sing your ancestors name, Varn-sh-kaut, and never forget that we are always with you. Fare thee well, Kasha Varn-sh-Kaut! _

_Your loving family_

The girl barely noticed the tears on her face as she read the letter. The letter, the love, the family history that were suggested by the parchment in her hands moved her deeply.

"Kasha Varn-sh-Kaut. My name is Kasha Varn-sh-Kaut," The girl said aloud. The more she recited it, the more familiar it sounded. More than familiar, it sounded right. She continued to say it until the cow on the other side of the wall mooed at her, reminding her that despite knowing who she was, she was still in a strange world. Kasha chuckled to herself and apologized to the cow. "I'll try to be a bit quieter."

Kasha then turned to the next parchment and unfolded what seemed to be a map. She looked at it closely, seeing a very large island, smaller islands, lakes, and several towns. She stood up, walking out of the barn trying to get her bearings to be able to place herself on the map. She gasped, almost dropping the map, as she realized that it must be enchanted. As she had walked out of the building, a bright circle appeared on the map, as well as coordinates at the bottom of the map, supposedly marking her location. She walked around the spire and the other building and was amazed to see the numbers at the bottom of the map change as she walked, as did the location of the circle that had appeared.

Kasha walked back to the barn and put the map back into her sack, pulling out the final parchment. It was a welcome letter, with instructions to go into the purple portal for practice on how to survive in this world. She put that parchment aside, promising herself that she would get back to it as soon as she went through the remaining contents of her pack.

Kasha looked at the items on the ground in front of her; a small bow, some arrows, a loaf of bread, vials of water, sacks of flour, large gems, a tool she recognized as a mortar and pestle, and supplies to make more arrows. She began to repack, making sure that all of her items would fit, when she came across two more items. One was a small satchel, which when picked up, jingled. Peeking inside, she found many gold coins, as she thought to herself that at least she was not without resources. The second item was a small jewel. It was pale blue in color and had a faded glow in the center of it.

"This must be the calling stone that was told of in the letter. I wonder what use it has?" Kasha wondered. "Surely a jewel such as this must be of some value or use. I wonder if I use it in my alchemy?"

Kasha suddenly got a feeling that someone else was approaching, fast. She tossed the satchel of coins and the calling stone into her pack pulling out the bow and a handful of arrows. She slung the pack over her shoulder and ran outside the barn, ready to defend herself.

"Hail traveler! My name is Colin the Gray, and I am an Advocate. I am here to help you with any questions you might have. You can recognize me by my colorful, swirling shield, known as an Aegis."

Kasha peeked around the corner, bow at the ready, looking for the source of the voice she heard. He certainly sounded friendly, but Kasha wasn't ready to trust outward appearances just yet. She rounded the corner, lowering her bow, and saw a man sitting peacefully in front of the stone building, his body surrounded in pale green bubbles that were lazily circling him.

"Don"t be afraid, I can not hurt you. Please come closer! Have you any questions for me?" Colin the Gray had turned to look at her.

Had she any questions for him? She had nothing but questions! Kasha moved forward and, sitting in front of Colin the Gray, searched his eyes and face for deception. Opening her mind, she found that she knew his age was 26, and he was probably one who used a sword in battle. She could also tell that he was not unfamiliar in magic. Kasha decided to trust this stranger, and thought of questions to ask. Deciding on her question, she opened her mouth to ask, however, once she started, she found herself unable to stop.

"Why am I here? Why does your shield do that? Where am I? Will I ever be permitted to go home? How am I to make my living if I can't remember my skills? What is that purple swirling vortex? What is the large blue spinning stone? How do I know that there are people in that house? Can you explain this map to me?"

Colin began laughing good-naturedly and put his hand on Kasha's arm. "Calm down young one, I will do what I can to answer your questions, but much of your education will come with experience." Colin pulled out a mug of ale, offered it to Kasha, and then pulled out another for himself. He made himself comfortable and began talking.

"We are in a world called Dereth. We are here because a powerful Magician called Asheron has summoned us here to help defend the world. His people were all but wiped out by the creatures that roam the lands. Unfortunately, you can never go home. Asheron has gone into exile, bringing the number of people here that he did has put immense strain on his magic, and he is weakened. Asheron would be the only one who would know how to send us back to Ispar, and he says he can't."

Colin paused for a moment, allowing this to sink in with Kasha. He saw her bow her head sadly, and wipe a tear off her cheek. This was a response he was used to. How many people had he told this news? The news of never going home was always difficult for him to tell, it reminded him that he too, would never go home either. He had tried to make his way here, even offering his services to assist the newcomers, but he would still stop occasionally, and think of his wife and son home in Ispar. He was brought out of his reverie by the loud, resigned sigh of Kasha, who had picked her head up, took a deep swig of ale, and bade Colin to continue with the story he had begun.

"Asheron cast one last bit of magic before going into hiding, and that is the blue LifeStone spinning there." Colin gestured toward the LifeStone and Kasha looked upon it intently. "We never die. Well, we die, but not permanently. If ever our life force is taken by battle or by choice, we are resurrected by these LifeStones. We are weaker and our skills are not as good as usual, to be sure, but we are alive. And we simply have to work a bit to get back to the way we were. This weakening is called Vitae, it also causes us to lose our grip on things dear, and grim as it may be, we must go back to the place of our demise and rummage our own corpses to retrieve these items." Kasha shuddered at the thought of seeing her own lifeless body, and the thought of having to rummage through it made it even worse of a visual.

"The map, I am afraid, I can not explain. It just is. It is also the reason you can 'see' in your mind where creatures and other people are. It has been attuned to you and it extends your senses. The purple vortexes are a means to travel. Each vortex can transport you to another place, either a dungeon underground, or to a town that could take days to run to.

"Now then, your skills will come back to you, in time they will be better than you could have imagined! You will see, looking into yourself that you are currently of level 1. That means that you just got here, and have not begun to make your way. Looking into me, you will see that I am level 26. That is a culmination of my experiences. When you have had experiences and you begin to gain knowledge, you will also grow in levels. This is viewed the same as age was on Ispar. Age was viewed as knowledge, wisdom and experience. You respected Elders and their opinions. They were able to give you advice that helped you become a stronger person. The same is true here of levels. You may also find a patron who can help you on your way.

"The best way to begin this new path is through the vortex on the side of this building, (which is known as an Advocate Spire), which takes you into a training hall. There you will find many hints and tips, as well as straw creatures you may practice your skill on.

"I am sorry, what was your name?"

"My name is Kasha. Kasha Varn-sh-Kaut," Kasha said.

"Good luck fair traveler! Enjoy the blessings of this world and beware the dangers, for there are many of both. Fare the well, Kasha Varnishkas!"

A/N : This is my very first fanfic. AC players will recognise the old school Advo's and Sent's in this story and I write it that way because that is how I started. Please review, it is good or crap? Shall I continue or hang up my ink and quill? Thank you so much!


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